Hockey Stick Extension Device

ABSTRACT

A hockey stick extension device features a mounting component configured for installation on a shaft of a hockey stick at a handle-end thereof, and a slider component telescopically mated with the mounting component for sliding axial movement therealong between a retracted position minimizing a combined axial length of the mounting component and the slider component, and an extended position maximizing the combined axial length of the mounting component and the slider component. With the mounting component installed at the handle-end of the shaft of the hockey stick, sliding movement of the slider component from the retracted position to the extended position increases an overall effective shaft length of the hockey stick.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/958,046, filed Jan. 7, 2020, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to hockey sticks, and more particularly to devices enabling length adjustment to the shaft of a hockey stick.

BACKGROUND

In the sport of hockey, it is known to customize the length of a hockey stick for a particular player by adding a wooden or composite extension to the hollow shaft of a composite hockey stick at the handle end thereof. Such commercially available extensions have a narrowed stem at the bottom end that plugs into the hollow interior of the hockey stick shaft at the handle end thereof for glued attachment thereto. A wider upper body of the extension remains outside the shaft at the handle end thereof, thereby forming the manually gripped part of the extension. Composite extensions can have an open upper end into which the stick's original end cap can be plugged, if desired. Once the extension is installed, the increased effective length of the stick remains fixed, since the extension has no length-adjustment mechanism.

Canadian Patent Application 2,793,732 of Ruffo takes an alternative approach to length-customization by proposing a length-adjustable hockey stock that can be varied in overall length throughout its life, thus allowing young players to start with a relatively short stick length, then in later years increase the effective length of the stick rather than having to incur the additional cost of a larger new stick. However, the solution relies on a particular redesign of the stick shaft itself, particularly a multi-piece shaft construction having cross-sectionally smaller upper and lower shaft sections that are inserted into a cross-sectionally larger central shaft section. The central shaft section is equipped with a series of holes at which the smaller shaft sections can be secured at selectable positions with spring pins. The degree to which the smaller shaft sections protrude from the central sections adjusts the overall shaft length of the stick. Since Ruffo relies on redesign of the stick itself, the reference provides no solution by which players can vary the length of their existing hockey sticks.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,336 by Tashjian discloses another length-adjustable hockey stick, where an extension is insertable into the handle end of a hollow hockey stick shaft, like the wood and composite extensions mentioned above. However, instead of being glued in place, the reference uses apertures in the sidewalls of the shaft together with telescopic axial adjustment of the extension's position to lock the extension in one of a predetermined number of selectable positions using a hinged two-piece locking pin. While offering more adjustability than the aforementioned fixed-length wood and composite inserts, Tashjian once again requires a specialized stick construction with appropriately configured pin apertures for cooperation with the locking pin. Therefore, like Ruffo, Tashjian provides no solution for length adjustment of a player's existing hockey stick.

In both references, re-adjustment of the stick length is also a multi-step process, requiring an initial unlocking action on a spring pin or lock pin, followed by careful manual extension or collapse to one of a predetermined number of selectable securement positions in which pin apertures of the different components align with one another. In the case of Tashjian's hinged two-piece locking pin, finessed removal is particularly required for the unlocking step.

Accordingly, there remains room for improvement concerning length adjustability of a hockey stick, particularly in terms of an aftermarket solution for existing sticks that enables length-variability post-installation, and solutions for quick-re-adjustment between different lengths.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a hockey stick extension device comprising:

a mounting component configured for installation on a shaft of a hockey stick at a handle-end thereof; and

a slider component telescopically mated with the mounting component for sliding axial movement therealong between a retracted position minimizing a combined axial length of the mounting component and the slider component, and an extended position maximizing said combined axial length of the mounting component and the slider component;

whereby with the mounting component installed at the handle-end of the shaft of the hockey stick, sliding movement of the slider component from the retracted position to the extended position increases an overall effective shaft length of the hockey stick.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an extendable/collapsible hockey stick comprising:

a shaft having a blade end and an opposing handle end;

a slider component supported on said shaft adjacent the handle end thereof in a slidable manner movable axially along said shaft between a retracted position of minimal axial protrusion from said handle end of the shaft, and an extended position of greater axial protrusion from said handle end of the shaft to increase an overall effective shaft length of the hockey stick;

wherein the slider component is biased into either said extended position or said retracted position.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an extendable/collapsible hockey stick comprising:

a shaft having a blade end and an opposing handle end;

a slider component supported on said shaft adjacent the handle end thereof in a slidable manner movable axially along said shaft between a retracted position of minimal axial protrusion from said handle end of the shaft, and an extended position of greater axial protrusion from said handle end of the shaft to increase an overall effective shaft length of the hockey stick;

wherein the slider component is telescopically supported on said shaft in externally fitted relation over the handle end thereof.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided an extendable/collapsible hockey stick comprising:

a shaft having a blade end and an opposing handle end;

a slider component supported on said shaft adjacent the handle end thereof in a slidable manner movable axially along said shaft between a retracted position of minimal axial protrusion from said handle end of the shaft, and an extended position of greater axial protrusion from said handle end of the shaft to increase an overall effective shaft length of the hockey stick;

wherein the slider component is self-locking in at least one of the retracted and extended positions through cooperation of a depressible locking element carried on the shaft and a cooperating lock opening in the slider, the depressible locking element being biased into a locking position that engages into said cooperating lock opening when aligned therewith.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of a hockey stick extension device of the present invention, while in an extended state.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 as viewed in vertical cutting plane A-A thereof.

FIG. 4 is another cross-sectional view of the device in the same cutting plane as FIG. 3, but with the device in a collapsed state.

FIG. 5 is another cross-sectional view of the device in the same collapsed state as FIG. 4, but installed on the hollow shaft of a composite hockey stick.

FIG. 6 is another cross-sectional view of the device and hockey stick shaft of FIG. 5, but with the extension device in the extended state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the drawings, and particularly with initial reference to the exploded view of FIG. 2, the hockey stick extension device 10 of the illustrated embodiment is composed of four primary components: a mounting component 12, a slider component 14, a compression spring 16, and a closure cap 18. The mounting component 12 is designed for mated insertion into the hollow shaft of a composite hockey stick at the handle end thereof in order to support the slider component 14 on the hockey stick shaft in a manner telescopically slidable thereon in an axial direction of the shaft, whereby the slider component 14 is movable between a retracted position of minimal axial protrusion from the handle end of the shaft, and an extended position reaching notably further from the handle end of the shaft to increase the effective overall shaft length of the hockey stick. The compression spring 16 is used to bias the slider component 14 into its extended position by acting between the mounting component 12 and the closure cap 18, the latter of which closes off the top end of the slider component 14 when the device is assembled, as can be seen FIG. 1.

The mounting component 12 features a lower base stem 20 whose external periphery is of rectangular shape specifically dimensioned for mated receipt thereof in the handle end of a hollow hockey stick shaft, preferably with glued affixation thereto, much like the stems of the fixed-length wooden or composite stick extensions referenced in the background above. The external periphery of the lower base stem is therefore composed of four peripheral stem walls 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D. Atop the lower base stem 20, the mounting component 12 features an enlarged head 22 whose outer periphery is also of generally rectangular shape, but is of slightly larger size than the base stem 20 so as to overhang the periphery of the cross-sectionally smaller base stem 20. The outer periphery of the enlarged head 22 features three rigidly interconnected walls 22A, 22B, 22C residing on three sides of its generally rectangular periphery. The bottom ends of these three peripheral walls 22A, 22B, 22C respectively create an overhanging shoulder 26 at the top end of each respective side of the base stem 20. These three overhanging shoulders 26 abut against the handle end of the hockey stick shaft when the base stem 20 is inserted into the hollow interior thereof, as can be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. The enlarged head 22 of the mounting component 12 therefore serves as a stop to limit the insertion of the mounting component 12 into the stick shaft during installation. In the mounting component's fully inserted position, the base stem 20 resides internally of the hockey stick shaft 100, while the enlarged head 22 resides externally of the hockey stick shaft at the open handle end thereof.

The fourth side of the generally rectangular head 22 of the mounting component 12 lacks a rigidly-fixed wall like those 22A, 22B, 22C on the other three sides of the head 22. Instead, the fourth side of the enlarged head 22 features a resiliently depressible lock tab 28 that forms part of a quick-release locking mechanism that automatically locks the slider component 14 relative to the mounting component 12 whenever slid into the fully retracted position. The depressible lock tab 28 is joined only to the corresponding peripheral stem wall 20D that underlies the lock tab 28 on the same side of the base stem 20. The lock tab 28 is a seam lessy integral extension of this corresponding stem wall 20D, preferably as part of a unitarily molded plastic body that defines the entirety of the mounting component 12. The lock tab 28 is otherwise unconnected to the three rigid peripheral head walls 22A, 22B, 22C in order to allow resilient flexing of the lock tab 28 relative to the rest of the head 22. As shown in the drawings, the lock tab 28 is thicker than the underlying stem wall 20D.

Over a mast majority of the stem's axial length, all four peripheral stem walls 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D are rigidly interconnected to one another to maintain the fixed rectangular shape of the stem 20. However, at an uppermost portion of the stem wall 20D to which the lock tab 28 is joined, this particular stem wall 20D is separated from the two adjacent stem walls 20B, 20C by respective slots 30A, 30B that extend downwardly into the stem 20 from the top end thereof at the two corners of the stem at which these three adjacent stem walls 20B, 20C, 20D meet. This way, the separated uppermost portion of the stem wall 20D forms a living hinge by which the lock tab 28 can be flexed from a normal default position angling obliquely upward and outward from the underlying stem wall 20D, and thus angling obliquely away from the opposing peripheral head wall 22A, to an inwardly deflected position standing more upright from the underlying stem wall 20D in more parallel relation to the opposing head wall 22A. The normal outwardly angled position of the lock tab 28 can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, whereas the inwardly deflected position can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 6.

The slider component 14 is basically a hollow rectangular shell composed of four perimeter walls 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D and having open top and bottom ends 14E, 14F. As shown in the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 3 to 6, the thickness of each perimeter wall 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D is slightly greater a lowermost portion thereof adjacent, whereby the open bottom end 14F of the slider component 14 delimited by these thickened lowermost portions of the perimeter walls is of slightly smaller rectangular cross-sectional than the remaining upper majority of the shell's hollow interior. These thickened lowermost portions of each perimeter wall creates an in-turned upwardly-facing stop shoulder 32 a short distance above the bottom end 14F of the slider component. With reference to FIGS. 3 to 6, in the assembled state of the device 10, the enlarged head 22 of the mounting component 12 resides inside the larger upper majority of the slider component's hollow interior, and is too large to fit through the smaller opening at the bottom end 14F of the slider component 14. Accordingly, sliding of the slider component 14 off the top end of the mounting component 12, or sliding of the mounting component 12 out of the open bottom end 14F of the slider component 14, is prevented by abutment of the overhanging shoulders 26 of the mounting component head 22 with the in-turned stop shoulders 32 of the slider component 14.

In the perimeter wall 14D of the slider component 14 that corresponds to and faces the tab-supporting peripheral wall 20D of the mounting component's base stem 20, the slider component 14 features a lock opening 34 at the top of this perimeter wall 14D. This lock opening 34 is sized to accommodate receipt of the lock tab 28 therein for the purpose of automatically locking the slider component 14 and mounting component together when the slider component is received in its fully retracted position. This self-locking relationship between the slider component 14 and the mounting component 12 when the slider component 14 is fully retracted is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The lock tab 28 is resiliently biased into its default outwardly-angled position by its living hinge connection to the underlying stem wall 20D, whereby the lock tab 28 is automatically forced outwardly into a locking position in the lock opening 34 when relative sliding between the slider component 14 and the mounting component 12 brings the lock tab 28 of the mounting component head 22 into aligned relation with the lock opening 34. To move the slider component 14 into the extended position, a user must first manually depress the lock tab 28 out of the locking position into its inwardly deflected release position fully withdrawn from the lock opening 34 and situated entirely inside the slider component 14, thereby releasing the self-locking action between the mounting component 12 and the slider component 14.

The closure cap 18 is installed on the slider component 14 during assembly of the device 10 in order to close off the otherwise open top end 14E of the slider component 14, but only after the mounting component 12 has been inserted into the slider component 14 through this initially open top end 14E thereof. The closure cap 18 features a top closure wall 18A for spanning over the open top end 14E of the slider component 14, and a pair of lug walls 18B, 18C that depend downwardly from the top closure wall 18A at opposite sides thereof. Each lug wall 18B, 18C features a respective securement aperture 38 therein for mating receipt thereby of a matching securement boss 40 on the exterior of a corresponding perimeter wall 14B, 14C of the slider component 14. To install the closure cap 18, the lug walls 18B, 18C are flexed slightly away from one another during lowering thereof over the respective sides of the slider component 14, and then released once the securement apertures 38 are aligned over the securement bosses 40. The flexible lug walls 18B, 18C, via resiliently flexible and seamlessly integral connection thereof with the top closure wall 18A as part of unitarily molded plastic piece, return from their flexed-apart positions back to their default parallel positions to one anther, thereby enveloping the securement bosses 40 within the securement apertures 38 in order to secure the closure cap 18 to the slider component 14. The closure component 18 in the illustrated embodiment is therefore easily installed in a snap-fit manner, though the particular details of its attachment to the slider component 14 may be varied.

The top closure wall 18A features an internal spring boss 42 of cylindrical shape projecting perpendicularly downward from the underside of the closure wall 18A at a central point thereon in order to receive the top end of the coil spring 16 during assembly of the device. The mounting component 12 features a hollow internal cavity 44 opening thereinto from the top end of the mounting component's enlarged head 22. This cavity 44 spans a majority of the mounting component's axial length, but bottoms out at a cavity floor 44A near the bottom end of the mounting component 12. An upright spring boss 46 of cylindrical shape stands perpendicularly upward from the cavity floor 44A at a central point thereon so as to lie in alignment with the internal spring boss 42 of the closure cap 18 on a central longitudinal axis 48 of the device when assembled. In this assembled state of the device, the mounting component 12 and the slider component 14 are slidable relative to one another in an axial direction defined by this central longitudinal axis 48 that is shared by the mounting and sliding components, and is also shared by the hockey stick shaft once the device is installed thereon, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The upright spring boss 46 of the mounting component 12 receives the bottom end of the compression spring 16. The two spring bosses 42, 46 thus maintain the compression spring in an appropriate operating position coiled around the central longitudinal axis 48. The compression spring 16 acts against the cavity floor 44A of the mounting component 12 and the closure cap 18 of the capped top end of the slider component 14 to bias the slider component 14 upwardly into the fully extended position.

The spring-biased movement of the slider component 14 toward its fully extended position is shown in FIG. 3, where the compression spring 16 forces the capped upper end of the slider component upwardly away from the enlarged head 22 of the mounting component 12, until the point at which the overhanging shoulders 26 of the mounting component head 22 are abutted by the in-turned stop shoulders 32 of the slider component 14. This stop point defined by the abutted shoulders defines the slider component's fully extended position. To return the slider component to its fully retracted position, the user must force the slider component 14 axially downward relative to the hockey stick shaft 100 and the mounting component 12 installed therein, eventually driving the lock opening 34 of the slider component 14 into alignment with the lock tab 28 of the mounting component 12. At this point of retraction, the lock tab 28, previously riding along the interior of the slider component's perimeter wall 14D, automatically pops outwardly into the lock opening 34. This defines the fully retracted position, which as shown in FIG. 4, may also correspond to abutment of the top end of the fixed walls 22A, 22B, 22C of the mounting component head 22 against the underside of the closure component 18, and/or abutment of the two spring bosses 42, 46 against one another. Such abutting contact between the mounting component 12 and the capped top end of the slider component 14 forms a physical hard stop past which further collapse of the device is not possible. Accordingly, the self-locking action between the lock tab 28 and lock opening 34 is therefore relied on not to stop movement of the sliding component in this collapsing direction, but rather only to lock the device against extension in the opposing direction until such time as the user depresses the lock tab 28, whereupon the bias force of the compression spring 16 will automatically drive extension of the device to its fully extended state.

Through comparison of FIGS. 3 and 4, it can be seen how the combined axial length L_(c) of the mounting component 12 and the slider component 14 from one end of the device 10 is at a minimum in the fully collapsed state of FIG. 4 that is much lesser than when nearing its maximum in the extended state of FIG. 3. In the fully collapsed state of FIG. 4, the two opposing terminal ends of the device 10 are defined by the top and bottom ends of the capped slider component 14, as the mounting component 12 resides entirely within the hollow interior of the slider component 14. Here, the combined axial length L_(c) is therefore at a minimum value equal to the axial length of the capped slider component 12. In the extended state of FIG. 3, the mounting component 12 reaches through the open bottom end 14F of the slider component 14, and so the opposing terminal ends of the device 10 are respectively defined by the capped top end of the slider component 14 and the externally protruding bottom end of the mounting component 12. In the fully extended state, the combined axial length L_(c) is at a maximum value equal to the axial length of the capped slider component 14 plus the axial length of the mounting component stem, minus the axial distance from the open bottom end 14F of the slider component 16 to the in-turned stop shoulders 32 thereof.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the extension device 10 installed on the handle end of a hollow hockey stick shaft 100, with FIG. 5 showing the device 10 in the collapsed state, and FIG. 6 showing the device in the extended state. Referring momentarily back to FIGS. 3 and 4, the width of the opening at the bottom end 14F of the slider component 14, in each of the two orthogonally measured directions of the opening's rectangular shape, exceeds the corresponding width of the stem 20 of the mounting component 12 by a distance equal to, or slightly exceeding, twice the wall thickness of the hockey stick's hollow shaft 100. Meanwhile, the width of each overhanging shoulder 26 of the head 22 of the mounting component 12 exceeds more than half this distance, and therefore exceeds the wall thickness of the hockey stick's hollow shaft. The reason for this is best illustrated in FIG. 6, where it can be seen that the overhanging shoulders 26 of the mounting component head 22 thus reach outwardly beyond the outer perimeter of the stick shaft 100 in order to abut against the in-turned stop shoulders 32 of the slider component 14 in the fully extended position thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the hockey stick shaft is shown in identical position in each figure, so that the handle end of the shaft resides at the same common elevation E_(c) in the side-by-side figures. In both figures, the mounting component 12 resides in its fully inserted and installed position, with the overhanging shoulders 26 of the enlarged head 22 thus residing in abutted relation against, but also overhanging relation to, the handle end of the hockey stick shaft 100. The enlarged head 22 thus sits at the handle end of the hockey stick shaft 100, will the base stem 20 hangs downwardly inside the hockey stick shaft 100. The hockey stick shaft 100 extends into the slider component 14 through the open bottom end 14F thereof into this abutted relation with the enlarged head 22 of the mounting component 12. Accordingly, the slider component 14 is externally fitted in telescopic relation over the handle end of the hockey stick shaft 100.

In the collapsed state of the device 10 shown in FIG. 5, the effective length of the hockey stick shaft is increased by only a minimal added length L_(MIN), which is equal to the sum of the axial height of the mounting portion's enlarged head 22 and the axial thickness of the closure cap's top closure wall 18A. The device 10 is self-locked in this collapsed state by the receipt of the lock tab 28 in the lock opening 34, where the engaged position of the lock tab 28 in the lock opening 34 blocks the slider component 14 from being able to slide upwardly relative to the stick shaft 100 and the mounting component 12 installed therein. In this collapsed state of the device 10, most of the slider component's axial length resides below the handle-end of the hockey stick shaft 100. When extension of the hockey stick shaft 100 is desired, the user depresses the lock tab 28, thereby releasing the self-locking mechanism, and allowing the compression spring 16 to drive the slider component 14 upwardly into its fully extended position.

FIG. 6 shows the device 10 just as the slider component 14 approaches its fully extended position, where the in-turned stop shoulders 32 of the slider component 14 will eventually abut against the overhanging shoulders 26 of the enlarged head 22 of the mounting component 12. The effective length of the hockey stick shaft is thus now increased by a notably greater extension length L_(EXT), which at its maximum will be equal to the axial length of the slider component 14, including the axial thickness of the top closure wall 18A of the slider component's installed closure cap 18, minus the distance from the bottom end 14F of the slider component 14 to the in-turned stop flanges 32 thereof.

The extension device 10 can be installed on any existing hockey stick with a hollow shaft, without requiring any modification to the structure of the stick itself. Adjustment of the extension length from its minimum value to its maximum value can be performed near instantaneously, through use of the quick-release lock mechanism that requires only mere depression of the lock tab 28 in order to release the device from its self-locked condition. The user input required to make this lengthening adjustment of the hockey stick is further minimized in the illustrated embodiment through the spring-biasing of the slider component 14 into its fully extended position. Accordingly, the device requires no manual pulling of the slider component into its extended position, and will instead automatically pop into this position upon release of the self-locking mechanism by the simple push-button action on the resiliently depressible lock tab 28. Return of the hockey stick to the minimal extension length L_(MIN) simply requires manual pushing of the slider component 14 in the downward direction to collapse the device 10 against the spring force. No further lock-actuating input is required due to the self-latching action of the locking mechanism once the fully retracted position is reached. As a result, adjustment can be made even on the fly during gameplay, for example lengthening the hockey stick for greater effectiveness during defensive play, and shortening the hockey stick for stick handing situations requiring greater maneuverability.

That being said, as an alternative to spring-biasing in the lengthening direction, or to supplement the use of the spring force to maintain the fully extended position, a second lock hole may be added to the slider component 14 closer to the bottom end thereof so as to also provide a self-locking action in the fully extended position. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more additional lock openings could be added at intermediate locations along the slider component to enable self locking at one or more positions of intermediate extension, thereby enabling user-selectable extension to various degrees. In another alternative with spring-biased functionality, rather than a compression spring biasing the slider component 14 in the extension direction, a tension spring hooked between the mounting component 12 and the slider component 14 could be employed to bias the slider in the retraction direction, with the lock opening 34 instead being situated lower in the slider component 14 for automatic locking of the slider component 14 in the extended position, rather than in the retracted position.

Also, while the illustrated embodiment has the slider component 14 fitted externally around both the mounting component 12 and the stick shaft 100, in another embodiment, the slider component 14 may alternatively be rearranged as an internal component that slides into an axially longer mounting component 12 during collapse of the device 10, in which case the depressible lock tab 28 may be relocated on the slidable component 14 near the upper end thereof, and the lock hole 34 accordingly relocated to the enlarged head 22 of the mounting component 12 that sits outside the stick shaft 100 at the handle end thereof. However, a benefit of the illustrated embodiment with the externally situated slidable component 14 is that in both the collapsed and extended state of the device 10, the capped slidable component 14 serves as the manually gripped uppermost area of the hockey stick, thus providing the same grip feel in both the extended and collapsed states, whereas an internal slidable component would inherently need to be smaller in cross-section than the stick shaft 100 itself, meaning that the player would having a smaller gripping area in the device's extended state than in the device's collapsed state, in the latter of which the stick shaft would be gripped directly.

While the illustrated embodiment employs an integrally molded, resiliently flexible lock tab as the selectively depressible locking element for latching with the lock opening 34 in the slider, preferably as part of an embodiment in which both the mounting component 12 and the slider component 14, and preferably also the closure cap 18 thereof, are plastic molded components, a ball-detent or other self-latching, quick-release lock mechanism may alternative be employed to lock the device in one or more of its positions.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. 

1. A hockey stick extension device comprising: a mounting component configured for installation on a shaft of a hockey stick at a handle-end thereof; and a slider component telescopically mated with the mounting component for sliding axial movement therealong between a retracted position minimizing a combined axial length of the mounting component and the slider component, and an extended position maximizing said combined axial length of the mounting component and the slider component; whereby with the mounting component installed at the handle-end of the shaft of the hockey stick, sliding movement of the slider component from the retracted position to the extended position increases an overall effective shaft length of the hockey stick.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said mounting component comprises a stem sized and shaped for insertion into a hollow interior of said shaft of the hockey stick.
 3. The device of claim 2 wherein said plug further comprises a head disposed atop said stem, said head residing inside the slider component and being greater in size than an opening at a bottom end of said slider component to prevent separation of the slider component from said mounting component.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein the slider component is biased into either said extended position or said retracted position.
 5. The device of claim 4 wherein the slider component is self locking in the other of either said extended position or said retracted position.
 6. The device of claim 4 wherein the slider component is biased into the extended position.
 7. The device of claim 5 wherein the slider component is biased into the extended position, and is self locking in the retracted position.
 8. The device of claim 1 wherein the slider component is biased into the extended position by a compression spring acting between the mounting component and the slider component.
 9. The device of claim 8 wherein said compression spring acts against said slider component at a capped upper end thereof.
 10. The device of claim 9 wherein the capped upper end of the slider component comprises an internal boss depending downwardly therefrom, and an upper end of the compression spring is received around said internal boss.
 11. The device of claim 8 wherein the mounting component comprises a hollow cavity opening thereinto from an upper end thereof, and an upright boss that is disposed within said hollow cavity and receives a bottom end of the compression spring.
 12. The device of claim 1 further comprising a quick-release locking mechanism configured to lock the slider component relative to the mounting component in at least one of the extended and retracted positions.
 13. The device of claim 12 wherein the locking mechanism is configured to lock the slider component in the retracted position.
 14. The device of claim 13 wherein the locking mechanism is configured to lock the slider component in only the retracted position.
 15. The device of claim 12 wherein the locking mechanism is configured to automatically engage in a locked state.
 16. The device of claim 12 wherein the locking mechanism comprises a depressible locking element on a first one of either the mounting component or the slider component, and a cooperating lock opening in a second one of either the mounting component or the slider component, the depressible locking element being biased into a locking position that engages into said cooperating lock opening when aligned therewith.
 17. The device of claim 16 wherein the depressible locking element is disposed on the mounting component, and the cooperating lock opening is disposed on the slider component.
 18. The device of claim 17 wherein the depressible locking element resides adjacent an upper end of the mounting component that resides outside the shaft of the hockey stick when installed thereon.
 19. The device of claim 17 wherein the cooperating lock opening resides adjacent an upper end of the slider component to receive the depressible locking element when the slider component is fully retracted.
 20. The device of claim 16 wherein the depressible locking element comprises a resiliently flexible lock tab.
 21. The device of claim 1 in combination with said hockey stick, wherein the mounting component is installed at the handle end of the shaft of said hockey stick.
 22. An extendable/collapsible hockey stick comprising: a shaft having a blade end and an opposing handle end; a slider component supported on said shaft adjacent the handle end thereof in a slidable manner movable axially along said shaft between a retracted position of minimal axial protrusion from said handle end of the shaft, and an extended position of greater axial protrusion from said handle end of the shaft to increase an overall effective shaft length of the hockey stick; wherein the extendable/collapsible hockey stick is further characterized by at least one of the following features: (a) the slider component is biased into either said extended position or said retracted position; and/or (b) the slider component is telescopically supported on said shaft in externally fitted relation over the handle end thereof; and/or (c) the slider component is self-locking in at least one of the retracted and extended positions through cooperation of a depressible locking element carried on the shaft and a cooperating lock opening in the slider, the depressible locking element being biased into a locking position that engages into said cooperating lock opening when aligned therewith. 